Overview

DM-Ice, or Dark Matter-Ice, is searching for dark matter in the Southern Hemisphere. The goal is to perform a search for dark matter using the time variation resulting from the motion of the detector relative to the dark matter halo as a signature. If confirmed, the observation would revolutionize our understanding of particle physics and cosmology.  A prototype detector is currently deployed at the South Pole and a next-generation engineering detector array, part of the Cosine-100 experiment, is currently running deep underground in Korea. 

Research Topics

• Direct dark matter detection
• Annual variation of dark matter signal
• Muon induced phosphorescence in NaI
• Temperature dependence of NaI light yield

WIPAC Contributions

WIPAC led the design and deployment of the 17 kg crystal prototype detector and first analysis of background data with DM-Ice. Former WIPAC professor Reina Maruyama, currently at Yale University leads this project. Currently, team members contribute to detector operations and data analysis.  In addition, WIPAC members are investigating detectors with lower backgrounds to optimize the design for the future DM-Ice250. WIPAC houses the data center for the DM-Ice collaboration.